Although Jiufen and Shifen are hidden far from the city of Taipei, their rich history, delicacies and natural elements attract many locals and tourists. If you are thinking of going to Jiufen or Shifen, here are a few recommended activities to do respectively.
Jiufen
Jiufen wasn’t always the bustling town that we know now. It was originally a small and quiet town that only housed nine families. Since the families always requested 9 portions when shipments arrived, the town was hence named as Jiufen.
In the 1890s when workers were constructing the Taipei-Keelung railway, they discovered gold in the vicinity of Jiufen. That discovery caused the town to hit a gold rush and progressed rapidly, hitting its peak during the Japanese Occupation. Jiufen had become so prosperous that it was known as ‘Little Shanghai’ or ‘Little Hong Kong’. Despite Jiufen’s dazzling past, the town also had a dark history. The town served as one of the Japanese prison camps in WW2 that imprisoned captured allied forces soldiers and forced them to work in the gold mines.
Leaving its past glory, the gold mine was shut down in 1971 after WW2, leaving Jiufen to be forgotten. It was only until the famous film ‘A City of Sadness’ in 1989 that was filmed in Jiufen made people visit again. Additionally, in 2001, the famous film ‘Spirited Away’ by Hayao Miyazaki was released. The movie is well known to be inspired by Jiufen old street through the similarities of the town and the design of the movie. And this connection has been a huge boost in helping Jiufen’s reputation skyrocket into one of Taiwan’s most popular tourist destinations. That being said, Hayao Miyazaki has denied Jiufen as the inspiration of Spirited Away. But fact or fiction, the resemblance is undeniable.
Jiufen Old Street
Known for their atmospheric lanes, teahouses, breathtaking views and wholesome dishes, Jiufen is one of the most prosperous shopping districts in Taipei. There are plenty of food stalls and souvenir shops lined against the alleyways of the old street. In addition, due to the influence of Hayao Miyazaki, many of the stores in the old street sell anime merchandise such as Totoro from the film My Neighbour Totoro.
Taiwanese street food such as the kurobuta sausages and grilled mushrooms can be easily found in Jiufen Old Street. But these food items can be found in almost any night market or old street. With that said, here are a few must-try unique well-known food stalls:
There are plenty of good delicacies in Jiufen Old Street and one of them would be the Sweet Tapioca/Potato Ball Soup from Ah Gan Yi Yu Yuan (阿柑姨芋圆). The store is famous for their distinct taro taste and aroma. A bowl from Ah Gan Yi Yu Yuan only costs NT$45 for a huge serving. The chewy and decadent taro balls are served in a sweet and warm broth, making it perfect for cold weather.
Another highlight would be to try the peanut ice cream at Ah-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll (阿珠雪在燒花生捲冰淇淋). The ice cream is served in popiah skins and topped with peanut shavings and the ice cream of your choice, ending off with cilantro. This light old school Taipei snack is then rolled into the shape of a burrito, making it easy to consume whilst on the go.
A-Mei Tea House
Known as being the inspiration behind the bathhouse of ‘Spirited Away’, the multi-levelled A-mei Teahouse overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Its beautiful old school Chinese infrastructure is adorned with red lanterns and overgrown plants. The infrastructure has become one of the many icons of Jiufen and can be seen in many postcards. Their menu is presented as a traditional bamboo scroll with carvings of the products offered. Guests can choose from a wide selection of tea or an afternoon set that only costs NT$300. The most popular choice would be the afternoon set where customers will be given a pot of tea with a few condiments (mochi, sesame crackers, sugared plums and bean cake) at the side. As the A-mei teahouse has a self-brewing concept, instructions on how to brew and serve the tea will be given by the multilingual employees beforehand.
Jilong Mountain
To experience Jiufen in an unconventional way, visitors can hike up the Jilong Mountain that’s situated near Jiufen Old Street. Only 588m above sea level, the hike up Jilong Mountain is not challenging but strenuous due to the overwhelming fleet of stairs. There are two pathways to the summit of the mountain and visitors can choose to either just head up to the summit or wander to the gentler, scenic route that overlooks the ocean.
The trail is well maintained with a few gazebos along the way to accommodate visitor traffic. Lucky hikers can also spot wildlife (wild chickens, butterflies) roaming around the mountains! As this is a relatively easy trail, depending on your fitness level, the hike to the summit can take about 30mins - 1h 30mins.
Tea-Pot Mountain
Another unconventional nature-centric activity would be the hike at Tea-pot Mountain. The name ‘Tea-pot Mountain’ comes from the shape of the mountain’s summit that looks like a teapot. As it is considered to be a difficult hike, visitors are encouraged to have at least basic rock climbing skills as the trail consists of steep ascents and rock scrambles. There are also rope fixtures on rocks or boulders to help hikers with their ascent.
Being 600m above sea level, the hike brings visitors amazing views around the mountain, overlooking the town and ocean. At the summit of Tea-pot Mountain, hikers come face to face with a small cave that leads up to the teapot. Ropes placed in the cave can aid in pushing hikers up the teapot.
Note: As certain parts of the summit are pretty exposed, visitors have to take extra caution.
The trailhead starts at the back of the Jinguashi Goldore Museum. Hikers will have to pay a fee of NT$80 for entering the museum in order to tackle the hike. Visitors can expect a round trip of 2h - 2.5h.
Shifen
If Jiufen is known for being a Gold Mining town, Shifen was known for mining and transporting coal. In its peak, Shifen transported 5 million tons of coal daily from the mines. The coal industry however declined in 1970 due to the exploitation of coal. Regardless, Shifen became a prominent tourist destination since the 1990s due to their Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival.
Tourists now often go to Shifen to write their wishes and release them on sky lanterns. This tradition started during the Qing Dynasty where villages were raided by bandits. After the bandits left the village, the villagers released sky lanterns to let their families who fled know that the village is safe and it’s time to go back. Now, it’s a symbol for well wishes and peace.
Sky Lanterns
Since the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, setting off sky lanterns in Shifen and Pingxi has become a tourist attraction. There are many shops lined up in the alleyways that sell sky lanterns. The shops usually offer a selection of colors that represent different meanings for customers to choose from. For instance, pink means romance and yellow means fortune.
After writing their wishes on the sky lantern, customers will be led to set off their sky lanterns into the sky. Priced at a low price of NT$150 - NT$200, setting off a Sky Lantern is a great cultural experience for visitors.
One of the sky lantern events, the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, is held on the 15th day of every Lunar New Year to send off the last day of Chinese New Year with a bang. Locals and tourists alike visit Pingxi to experience the tradition and to welcome the new year. Participants write their wishes on the sky lanterns before sending it to the heavens.
Attracting about 100k - 200k participants every year, the event starts at 6pm where hundreds of sky lanterns will be set off every 15 minutes. The result from sending off the sky lanterns is a beautiful glittering night sky.
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is free for all but visitors will have to register on-site for tickets as there are no online booking platforms online. As the tickets are sold out fast, it’s recommended to go early for registration.
Taiwan Coalmine Museum
Costing only NT$200, visitors will experience an immersive journey in the Taiwan Coalmine Museum. Established in the 1990s, this privately run museum has many equipment and machinery that were used by the miners on display. Visitors are able to touch the various kinds of coals as well. Looking like a run-down construction site, the exterior of the museum brings visitors back in time.
Visitors will be told the history of the coal mine and the exploitation that resulted in the closure of the mine. Being the only mine in Taiwan that holds mining rights, visitors are able to sit on an authentic electric locomotive that was used to transfer coal to the coal mine tunnel. Additionally, there is a guided tour in the tunnel that is simulated as though the visitors are one of the coal mine workers, allowing visitors to be immersed in their environment.
Wufen Mountain
The Wufen Mountain trail is a 3.2km walking trail that is more than 200 years old. Visitors can choose to start the trail at the Wufen Mountains or behind the Coal Mine Museum of Shifen. The trail goes along the ridge of the mountain and its accompanied with ecological landscapes and streams. Trekkers can also take a glimpse of the Taipei 101 on days with clear skies.
As the mountain is 757m above sea level, the trail takes about an hour to the peak. Along the way, hikers will come across pavilions as rest stations to take a breather. If you are interested in astronomy, the Wufen Mountain is a good location for astronomical observation!
Jing'an Suspension Bridge
Located just behind Shifen Station, the 128m long Jing’an Suspension Bridge is one of the few well-maintained bridges in Taiwan. It acts as a connector to the Shifen and Nanshan Villages. Originally, the bridge was used to transport coal but now, it’s used as a pedestrian crossing. Visitors are welcomed to cross the bridge to explore the Nanshan Village and their houses with blue windows, doors and walls.
The Jing’an Suspension Bridge hovers above the Keelung River, giving visitors or locals amazing views. Additionally, visitors can spot the Yen Jing Dong Waterfall from the bridge!
Shifen Waterfall
Known as Taiwan’s Niagara falls because of its similar screen curtain-style waterfall, the Shifen Waterfall is 40m wide and 20m high. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Shifen which costs only NT$80 to enter. The Shifen Waterfall is located only 20-30mins away from the Shifen Train Station so it’s easy to get to. On clear sunny days, a small rainbow can be formed at the bottom of the waterfall, giving it the nickname of “Rainbow Pond”! If visitors are lucky, they may even see a double rainbow!
Note: Swimming is strongly prohibited in the waterfall’s compounds.
Located only 200m upstream of the Shifen Waterfall lies the Yen Jing Dong Waterfall. Translated as “Glasses Hole Waterfall”, the waterfall resembles a spectacle. This waterfall is 6m high and 6m wide and was created through water erosion. As it’s not as widely known as compared to the Shifen waterfall, there’ll be lesser tourists at the attraction. If visitors do not want to hike up an extra 200m, the Yen Jing Dong waterfall can also be viewed from the Jing'an Suspension Bridge.
